House surveys in North East

The North East has some of the most distinctive housing in England. Tyneside flats, Sunderland cottages and long rows of colliery terraces sit alongside Georgian stone towns in Northumberland, Victorian villas in Jesmond and Darlington, and a string of post-war new towns including Peterlee, Newton Aycliffe, Washington and Cramlington. Brick dominates the industrial towns along the Tyne, Wear and Tees, while sandstone takes over in rural Northumberland and the Durham Dales.

For surveys, the defining issue across much of the region is its coal mining past. The Durham and Northumberland coalfields cover a large share of the populated area, so mining searches and an eye for subsidence are routine. Coastal towns face wind-driven rain and salt exposure, older terraces often have damp and roof issues, and the new towns contain non-traditional and system-built houses that lenders and surveyors treat with care.